Alexandra Park Pre-school LimitedOfsted inspection, 3 Nov 2015

Alexandra Park Pre-School Alexandra Park Primary School, Bombay Road, Stockport, Cheshire, SK3 9RF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 3 November 2015 27 November 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 This is a calm, relaxed pre-school where children and staff have much fun, and really enjoy exploring and learning together. Relationships are happy, friendly and gentle. Individual children are listened to and given lots of attention by caring staff.  Staff know children well and make good use of their assessments of children to plan interesting and relevant learning activities. The quality of teaching for all children is good. By the time that children move to school Reception class, they are keen, skilled and confident learners, and ready to learn more.  The classroom is attractive and spaces for play and learning are arranged thoughtfully by staff. Staff make good use of space to create a pre-school where children are keen to explore with friends, with adults or alone. Children behave because staff make their expectations clear and offer positive support whenever needed.  Staff are supported well by the manager through individual discussions and training.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Over time, activities planned by the pre-school only give children an adequate awareness of different festivals and celebrations.  Children do not excel at learning the sounds that letters make. In addition, more able children do not show that they are good at thinking for themselves or able to find solutions to problems. This is because teaching these aspects is weaker and not fully considered within plans to improve the pre-school.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 teach children about a wide range of festivals and celebrations so they develop an excellent understanding of the diversity of people and communities living in modern Britain  establish clear priorities for improving the quality of teaching children the sounds that letters make; and how to think for oneself and find solutions to problems, so that children achieve well in these aspects of their learning.

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Inspection activities

 Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) spoke to children and observed learning and teaching in the pre-school classroom and outdoors. Some teaching was observed jointly with the pre-school manager.  Meetings were held with the manager/registered person, a range of staff, and a representative of the on-site primary school.  HMI spoke to some parents and carers.  HMI looked at children’s work and displays in the classroom.  HMI checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of pre-school staff.  HMI considered a range of documents including: reviews of how well the pre-school is developing; plans for the future; documents about the care and protection of children; plans for learning; and information about children’s progress.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Relationships between staff are good and the manager sets a positive example in the way in which she behaves with children. Since the previous inspection, the manager has ensured that individual staff are given regular help to improve their teaching through 'supervision' meetings, access to training, and formal observations of their work with children. The manager values the work of her team and makes careful, regular checks on the quality of staff assessments of children. She considers what this tells her about the progress of all children who attend. She is increasingly using such information to identify aspects for improvement. As a result of this good work by the manager and the positive response from staff, the quality of the pre-school is improving well. Safeguarding is effective. Staff and the manager know what might indicate that children are at risk of harm and know how to report any concerns that may arise.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff give much attention to talking to children and listening and acknowledging what they say. During the inspection, Her Majesty’s Inspector noted the consistent skill with which different staff help children to develop their confidence to speak and communicate. Good use is made of opportunities to teach children early mathematics, and help children to be a confident learner. Stories and rhymes are taught well and children have good opportunities to dance and be active. Good links with parents are in place and this means that staff know what children are learning at home. Parents are kept well-informed about children’s progress at pre-school. Staff assess children regularly and carefully and establish clear next steps for children within activities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children, only a few weeks after their first day of attendance, act with confidence and eagerness when playing with their new friends. This is because of skilful help from pre- school staff. As a calm, settled and happy classroom, the pre-school is a pleasurable place to be. All children relate well to their named key person. Children look after their toys and resources. They tidy their classroom with enthusiasm. They enjoy healthy snacks each day. The thoughtful help of staff and the good level of resourcing mean that children can experiment with different roles. They can be whom they want to be: girls can be Firefighters and boys can become a Princess.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children leave pre-school happy, confident, eager and settled. They have a good basic understanding of themselves and their families, of early mathematics, and how to talk and communicate. Because close attention is given to each individual child at pre-school, those children with special educational needs progress well. Good arrangements are then in place for school to take support forward. Greater attention at pre-school to the sounds that letters make will mean that for more able children, they are even more ready to develop their reading skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY419397 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 1023062 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 3 - 4 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 19 Name of provider Alexandra Park Pre School Limited Date of previous inspection 27 November 2014 Telephone number 01614805557

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Setting details

Alexandra Park Pre-School registered with Ofsted in 2010. It provides funded places for children aged three- and four-years within the Edgeley area of Stockport. The pre-school operates from a classroom within Alexandra Park Primary School and links to other local schools. Children also have access to the school hall, and an enclosed outdoor play area. There are six members of staff employed to work with the children. Of these, one is qualified at level 2 in early years education, three at level 3, and two at level 6. The pre- school is open each weekday from 8.45am to 11.45am and 12.30pm to 3.30pm during term-time only.

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Setting details

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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Setting details

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